December 2011

This is as close to peace on earth as we get around here. That's Shadow on the left and Hobo on the right. They are both male cats, but they really do love each other. They are taking a nap after a hard morning of Christmas decoration demolition.

I have several announcements to make about our December 15th meeting. First of all, we will be collecting items such as small toiletries, lap robes, and cardigan sweaters for the elderly folks at Westminster Manor. These little gifts will brighten the holidays for some of them who may have outlived their friends and family, or who left them up North when they came to Florida to retire. Then, there is FELT (filling empty little tummies) which is still collecting small food items that will not tip over a little child when it is inserted in his or backpack. We have done a wonderful job collecting books. Jane Evers says that each child will have a book to take home for the holiday break. I am sure she will be happy to have more books to repeat the handout again.

Our meeting should be especially joyful this time. We will be entertained by The Bowery Boys Barbershop Quartet. Dave and Carolyn Brown will lead us in singing some Christmas songs, and everyone is invited to bring something baked or created for a craft sale to benefit our scholarship fund raising.

Speaking of scholarships, the Scholarship Committee met this week and distributed the FREF Scholarship applications to the high schools. Elaine Brown, who just retired as chair, came to help us get started and saved the day. We hope that now we will be able to muddle through without her because of the preparation she offered us.

We decided to take a page from FREF's book and raffle off a hot item. (No, not that kind of hot. We will buy it.) We settled on a Kindle Fire. If you haven't read about it, I know you will be interested that it is similar to the IPad, just a little smaller and a lot cheaper -$199.00. It is a computer, an e-reader, does email, and plays games. It shows movies and t.v. shows too. If you are not a techie, it would be a great present for a loved one who is.

If you recall, in the past, members decided that they were tired of trying to raise money by selling each other their "white elephants" and decided to just ask everyone to donate to the scholarship fund. I think the suggested donation was $10 to $25. If you were feeling flush, of course, more was appreciated. It is always possible to donate in a friend's or a loved one's name also. After quite a struggle last year, we were able to finance four $1000 awards. We hope that a raffle will be fun and that it will raise money in addition to what is donated. We will be selling tickets for $10 each, or 3 for $25 beginning at our meeting next week.We will continue to sell them until March, so if you can't buy a ticket or three now, you may want to do it later. If you don't want to gamble, just donate as you usually do.

Here's an idea for the day after Christmas when everyone is feeling a little let down from all the holiday joy, and the Christmas tree is starting to wilt. How about attending a Kwanzaa celebration? It will be held at 6:00 P.M. at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 525 Martin Luther King Ave. East. Kwanzaa is a celebration of family, community, and culture. For more information, contact Robert Dunlap at 941-779-3598.

If your caller has not contacted you by Saturday, please call Mary Ann Jensen at 941-756-7603. Remember, if you make a reservation for yourself or for a guest and then do not attend, we will send you a bill for $11 ( $1 for the postage.) If you need to cancel call Mary Ann by Sunday.

Last year Marilyn Poole sent me a card with a lovely message.

"Faith in the human spirit brings peace to the heart...and this is the place where miracles begin. Wishing you and the world we live in the miracle of peace this holiday season."

Ellen

November

Fall has finally arrived and with it the beginning of excitement about the holiday season. I've already begun looking at those magazine recipes for turkey. The ways that food editors have devised to get that bird done with a flourish are amazing. Inject this and that under the skin of the turkey. Soak the bird in this or that overnight. Barbeque the bird in some seasoning that only can be bought in a Serbo-Croatian grocery store. I am overwhelmed by the possibilities, but I know at last I will just stuff my turkey with apples, rub him with salt and pepper and savory, and cook him on the grill in a roasting pan. (The grill saves me the oven cleaning and leaves room in the oven for the pies, rolls, and stuffing.) See, now even I am offering those turkey day tips.

I think today's big fat-breasted turkey compared to the sinewy, wild, free range birds of the Pilgrim era is a perfect metaphor of the difference between the near-starvation state of those early settlers and the over-stuffed celebration of our time. If the celebration of the first Thanksgiving did take place, it was not a glorious feast. They had turkey, corn meal, some vegetables, and lots of water. Historians have debunked those elementary school images to which we were all exposed. Still, the image of the groaning board with the Indians and the Pilgrims gathered around it is ingrained in my celebration of Thanksgiving. If it wasn't really like that, it should have been. We can celebrate that the Pilgrims dared to come to the harsh unwelcoming shore of Massachusetts in the winter and that some survived.

Good news from Deborah Thomas. She has come through her knee replacement surgery like the trooper she is. She will be with us next week for our meeting. Judy Shostrom and the MCREA Board did a great job carrying on while she was recovering.

Did you know that FREA has a program, "With Four You Get More", which rewards members with a patch if they bring in four new members within one year. I think some of you may already have brought in some. Be sure to let the Membership Chair, Sue Roe, know so that she may keep track. Surely, some of you have a friend or two who might like to join us. Ask them to come to a meeting to try MCREA out.

FELT is still collecting books and food items to distribute at schools on Fridays. Your help is needed to be sure there is enough to fill up those kids' backpacks each week. If you bring items to the meetings, I will be happy to transport them to Jane Evers who heads the effort. I took her a trunkful of books and food that you have contributed so far. She is most grateful for everything we do.

I hope to see you all at the meeting next Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 11:30, at Renaissance on 9th. If your caller does not call you, please let Mary Ann Jensen know on or before Sunday, Nov. 13. Her number is 756-7603. Remember, reservations must be honored or you will receive a bill for the lunch you missed.

Cathy Slusser, Manatee County Historian, will present a program about places to visit in the County. She is a second generation (at least) Manatee County native who is very knowledgable about the early settlers, their work, and their buildings.

See you soon,

Ellen

November

November 2011

Manatee County Retired Educators Association
October 2011

The smiling faces above attended our New Retirees Reception in September.  We were happy too when we signed up the following new members:  Susan Nudd, Janice Ritchie, Roseanne MacEachen, Phyllis Boles, Patricia Battles, Barbara Murray, Donna Owen, Lorene Silverman, Joyce Ellis, Sherrie Henderson, Linda Perez, Susan Nichols, Anne Kinnan.  There may be others who have joined since our September meeting whose names I do not have yet.  I will update you about them as soon as I have their names.

FREA Leadership Training

MCREA officers and some members as well attended the FREA Leadership Training Conference on September 13th.  Fay Murphy, our District VII Director and member of MCREA, put together an informative session, titled "Re-energizing: What Now?" which highlighted the "traveling team" of state FREA officers.

Tom Tryon, Opinion Editor, Herald Tribune Media Group, spoke about what he termed "an assault" on public education which he termed a "core value" of our state and our nation.  He said that reformers of education are never satisfied, so they keep raising the bar on the FCAT while at the same time reducing the funds to support education.  Although they say they are interested in more control by local government, they add more control of the schools in Tallahassee.  They add more emphasis to private and charter schools with the ultimate goal to do away with public schools entirely.

He urged us to stand up for public education by letting our elected official know that we do not support them in dismantling our school systems.

The 2011-12 Legislative Priorities of the Florida Retired Educators Association are the following:
1.  Maintain the Florida Retirement System Health Insurance Subsidy Trust Fund and work to acquire additional increments to maintain parity with the increasing cost of health insurance.
2.  Oppose changing the annual Cost of Living Adjustment from 3 percent to a percentage based on the Consumer Price Index.
3.  Monitor the Florida Retirement system Trust Fund to include, but not be limited to:
     a. attempts to divert FRS funds from the purpose prescribed by the Florida Constitution and Statutes,
     b. management of the FRS Trust Fund for the security and profitability of its investments
4.  Work to ensure that new hires have the opportunity to choose between a defined benefit and a defined contribution retirement plan.
5.  Support legislative efforts to ensure that discrimination is not a factor in treatment and services for retirees.
6. Support all efforts to make affordable, quality health care, and the ability to plan for long term financial security available for all Americans.
7.  Support legislative and other activities designed to provide adequate and equitable funding for all students in the Florida public schools.

FELT (Filling Empty Little Tummies


We have begun collecting children's books to add to the backpacks of food which Jane Evers and her helpers are sending home each Friday with some of the many homeless children in the county.  The food is meant to help them get through the weekend when the cupboards may be bare.  The books were originally going to go home only on the day before Christmas vacation and at the end of the year.  However, thanks to the donations of many books from Julia Fortgen and others, Jane says she may be able to send a book home with each child more often than that.  When I brought the plan to the members at our last meeting, Elaine Brown immediately wrote a check to help buy food.  If some of you are interested in helping in that manner, the address to send your checks is FELT INC. of MANATEE, Community Bank, 7202 Manatee Ave. West, Bradenton, FL 34209.

Jane said they distributed the first backpacks last Friday to Palmetto, Oneco, Rowlett, and Rogers Gardens Elementary Schools.  She plans to add more schools as the year progresses.  And as more children arrive with their parents to pick crops, the numbers at each school will increase.

Donations of food for the backpacks are also much needed and appreciated.  You can bring them to our meetings and I will collect them and get them to Jane.  I have been picking up an item or two when I go to the grocery store and adding them to a bag.  It is easy to do and I don't miss the few dollars a week that can make such a difference.  Jane sent me a list.
oatmeal and cereal packs
pasta/mac cups
fruit cups, pudding cups
raisins
beans and franks (small cans only.  These are little kids who will tip over.)
peanut butter cups
fruit bars/granola
tuna/spam packs
ramen noodles
peanuts, almonds, etc.
hot chocolate
powdered milk, small cans of milk
snack crackers
small cans of veggies
no glass or tab tops


We still will be collecting your books too.  New ones are great as are gently used ones.

Our October meeting is on Wednesday this month, Oct. 19, at 11:30, at Renaissance on 9th.  I hope you are all planning to be there.  Halloween is the theme, of course, which gives you a chance to break out those tee shirts and costumes that you used to wear for the kids.  Sandra Stephenson is planning some Halloween entertainment for us.  She asks that everyone bring 20 dimes to play with.

Deborah Thomas, our president, had a knee replacement on Monday this week.  She will not be with us this month.  I know you join me in wishing her well.  She did ask that I inform you about an upcoming event on Nov. 14.  An Agricultural Farm Tour is planned which will begin at the Palmetto Fairgrounds at 8:00 a.m. and conclude back there at 3;15 p.m.  If the first two buses fill up, there will be another an hour later.  Tickets are $40 per person and include lunch. You can get more information or make a reservation,  call 722-4524.  For more details, their website is http://manatee.ifas.ufl.edu

Did you actually read all this?  Good for you.
See you soon,
Ellen







.

September 2011

Welcome back to MCREA. I hope you had an interesting summer with many opportunities to travel, engage in family and friends reunions, or to take advantage of the down time to read some good books. Of course, summer won't be over for us until the temperature drops in late October, but we still keep up the pretense that we have more than two seasons -- "hot" and "tourists". On the left is my orchid that grew to be so big, I had to move furniture. I owe it all to David Bates's MCREA lecture on growing orchids.

Your MCREA Board met this week, so I have information for you about upcoming events and new business. The first important date is the New Retirees Reception which will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 10-11:30 a.m., at the Central Library downtown. Sue Roe, Membership Chair, has sent out invitations to all the retirees on the list which is provided by the school board. She has not had many RSVPs so far. We are hoping that you will help us out by calling your newly retired friends to remind them to attend. You may come also to break the ice or just to say hello and have some punch. (Judy Shostrom makes "killer" punch.)

On September 15 we will meet at Renaissance on 9th at 11:30. Our speaker will be Maria Hussey who will speak about the Life-Long Learning Classes offered by USF. I have received the new catalog and there seems to be something there for nearly everyone depending on his or her interests in literature, art, photography, science, history, math, or other subjects. Lunch is still $10 and reservations may be made with your caller. Mary Ann Jensen has taken on the chairmanship of the calling committee. Remember you must honor the reservation or be prepared to pay for it later. If you are not called, please call Deborah Thomas at 752-6895 before Sunday, Sept. 11.

Judy Shostrom, Program Chair, has listed the other programs:

Oct. 19 (Wednesday) Halloween Fun with Sandra Stephenson

Nov. 16 (Wednesday) Manatee Historical Places with Cathy Slusser

Dec. 15 The Bowery Boys Barbershop Quartet

Jan. 19 Lemur Conservation with Monica Mogilewsky

Feb. 16 Financial Information with Dan Kreig

Mar. 15 Nutrition and Exercise with Dr. Blend

April 19 UF Opportunities with Lisa Hickey

May 17 Ice Cream Social and Games

The MCREA Board discussed creating some guidelines to direct the distribution of materials at general meetings. Board members are concerned that sometimes members or guests hand brochures that have not been sanctioned by the board. In the future, if someone wishes to distribute materials to the membership, the distributor must first present the items to the MCREA President who will then bring them to the board for consideration. In the past, this action was not necessary, but since we have been gaining some public notice, we are a prime target of many non-profit organizations. Sadly, we cannot support every group, so we must make choices.

The Board then discussed the community organizations which it does support. MCREA has supported the Manatee County History Fair for several years with a $60 donation for a category of "History of Manatee County Education". We also support the Manatee County Education Foundation with a $100 check for grants to teachers in the county for their classroom use.

In the past, we have collected children's books for "Stand Down". The board has decided that the books might be put to better use by FELT (Feeding Little Empty Tummies), the group that gives children in grades K-5 in several schools backpacks with food items to hold them over the weekends. The numbers of homeless children in the school system grows each year, and books are probably not at the top of their parents' shopping lists. We can also donate food items that are packable like individual servings of oatmeal and cereal packs, fruit cups and raisins, soup cups, etc. Or if it is easier, checks made out to FELT are definitely welcome. Jane Evers who spearheads this effort has a warehouse to store the books which she plans to distribute at Christmas and at the end of the school year.

Of course, the major project for MCREA each year is supporting our scholarships in education. This year, with your generous support and the work of the Scholarship Committee headed by Elaine Brown, we were able to award four scholarships to Manatee County students planning to become educators. We will continue to have our 50/50 drawing each month and we may have some new ideas to raise the money and have fun doing it. I know we are all into fun. Right?

See you soon,

Ellen

Summer 2011

By now, many of you have "shuffled off to Buffalo" or North Carolina or wherever you go to escape the heat and humidity of summer in Florida. Alas, some of us are still here toughing it out. I would be in Maine if I weren't married to a Florida native who doesn't mind the heat and whom mosquitoes do not bite. Honest. We still hope to get up "home" in August for a couple of weeks of pine trees and cool nights sleeping under a blanket. Ahhh!
MCREA had a good year. We made the change from our old meeting area to the Renaissance on 9th. Most of us like the new venue. We had some interesting speakers and programs and we kept up with the insanity of Tallahassee even if we had no input into what they did there. I think some of the legislators and the governor are now beginning to reap what they have sown according to the latest polls of citizens around the state. Our own local legislators have heard from us about their lack of support for teachers and children. Perhaps they will think before they vote next year because we do represent lots of votes of people who do vote and who are not swayed by their media campaigns because we were there and we will remember what they did.
Our last meeting was fun with the installation of the new officers:
Deborah Thomas, President; Judy Shostrom, President Elect; David Bates, Secretary; Ron Schneider, Treasurer; and Susan Roe, Membership Chair. With such a talented and dedicated group at the helm, I am sure MCREA is on its way to a surge in membership and in importance in local educational circles.
At the last meeting, we tried out a craft day event. Several members brought in crafts and other items to sell. Everything sold well and we made a couple hundred dollars for next year's scholarships. It was an event that the Board may decide to reschedule.
Under the Chairmanship of Elaine Brown, MCREA was able to give four $1,000 scholarships to local high school grads planning to study education. It was your largess that pushed through the last two gifts, and we should all be proud of our contributions. Remember that those students who received the money were among the top students in Manatee County, so we have played a part in encouraging the best to become teachers. Alas, after many years as Chair, Elaine is taking a much needed rest. You have served us and the students of Manatee well, Elaine. We are all in your debt.
Our new President, Deborah, may call on some of you to assume a seat on some committees. Please accept if she does. Remember, if we all work together the load is lighter. If she does not ask you to serve, call her to volunteer. The committes are listed in the front of the Handbook and I am sure there is something there for everyone. As you know, organizations are so much more interesting when you play a part in making them successful.
Deborah has asked me to remind you that your dues for 2011-12 are due now. They are $50. Please write your checks to MCREA and mail them to
Ron Schneider, Treasurer
3802 Chinaberry Road
Bradenton, FL 34207.
If there have been any changes in your home address, email address, or phone number, please include that change with your check. If you have already paid your dues and there has been a change, please call me at 794-1646, or any of the new officers to let us know.
SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS 2011-12
Sept. 8 New member reception 10-12 a.m.
Members are welcome and especially if you bring a prospective
member.
Sept. 15 Thursday
Oct. 19 Wednesday *
Nov. 16 Wednesday *
Dec. 15 Thursday,
Jan. 19 Thursday
Feb. 16 Thursday
March 15 Thursday
April 19 Thursday
May 17 Thursday
*Please note that these two dates are on Wednesdays.
All of our meetings will begin at 11:30 at Renaissance on 9th. Lunch will be $10.
I hope that I will see you in September. If you have a friend who does not receive email, please let him or her know about what I write here. It is just too expensive to send out individual newsletters. If you have something that you would like to share with the membership, email me at ellenbell411@hotmail.com/ I will be happy to pass information along.
See you in September.

May 4, 2011

This has definitely been a dreadful season of Legislative actions against educators and the children they teach. Since the damage has been done and the session is nearly over, we have only one recourse in supporting our colleagues still on the job and the children of Florida. We must unite in the next election to speak to the reasonable voters and to get them to the polls. No lies about the foundations of democracy found in public education can be accepted. We must refute those slanderous stories of our ineptness with letters to the editors and to our representatives in Tallahassee. Most of us do have former students in the community who will listen to us.

Anyway, it is time to let your blood pressure return to normal and to plan for the future. We have lost this battle, but we aren't done yet. Actually, we retired educators did not do so badly. But I have a feeling that they probably are gunning for us in the future. They do not respect us or our years of service.

Our April meeting was interesting with a talk from Cecile Arrington about the Leadership Program at Bayshore Elementary School. Ed Ethridge led us in a remembrance ceremony for our members who passed away this year. We passed the revised Bylaws, and we welcomed some visitors and some new members. Our big membership drive will begin in the summer as soon as we receive the list of the retirees from the school system. As our new membership chair, Susan Roe will send each of them an invitation to a reception which we will hold in August. I will keep you advised about the date which has not been determined yet. I am sure that some of you have friends who are retiring this year. It would be a great gesture to invite them to attend the reception. You can come along to help them feel more comfortable. It seems to me that organizations that grow and prosper are those that help individual members feel welcome and needed.

Barbara Kitzman expressed concerned about the school board insurance which went up $100 in January, for us, but not for regular employees. She called the school board and spoke to Leslie Strickland, the new insurance contact person. Ms. Strickland said that the school board has been picking up the extra $100 for the employees. I imagine that they were contractually obligated to do that. Employees expect a huge increase in insurance fees in the fall. It is hard to think that the same may not happen to retirees as well. As soon as we know more, we will let you know. Or if you find out anything, let me know so I can spread the misery around.

Our May, and final meeting until September, will be held on Thursday, May 19, at 11:30, at Renaissance on 9th. We discussed having a picnic somewhere instead of our regular meeting place, but many members said it was too hot in May, the bugs were bad, and the parking and footing could be treacherous at the various parks. So we decided to stick to the tried and true.

We do have one major innovation for our May meeting. Since we do not have a scheduled program, except for the installation of new officers, we were happy to take a suggestion made by Susan Darovec. We will have items from our crafters for sale at the meeting. Susan is a woodworker who will bring some of her rolling pins and other creations to sell. I am not a crafter, but I do have a collection of jewelry which my cousins made for me which I don't wear. It is really nice, but somehow my clothes don't match. Any profit made from my items will be donated to the scholarship fund. Susan, of course, is selling materials that cost her a good bit, so she will make a donation that she thinks is fair from her sales. Now, if you have something that you would like to sell, please bring it (them) along. Probably, you might want to bring a card table or some way to display your wares if they are extensive. You may set your price and invite haggling or stand firm. I think we should have fun with this.

Dues are due (love that!) now for next year. We will be accepting them at our next meeting. Remember, they have gone up $5, a much needed raise to our local unit. Bring your checkbooks and get it out of the way. This will save us postage writing you later.

Later on during the summer, you may get a letter from FREA asking you to renew your dues. If you have already paid your dues to MCREA, your dues have been renewed for FREA already. Do not send them any money. I found out I had been sending them dues twice that way and am paid up until 2012/13.

If you do not hear from your caller, please call me at 794-1646 to make a reservation. Life happens and sometimes callers don't get through. In the event that you make a reservation and a true emergency occurs, I am able to change the number that I call in to Renaissance up until Tuesday before our meeting. Please be sure it is an emergency, however. Judy is very patient, but we don't want to overstep.

Deborah Thomas, our new president, has asked me to continue writing this blog during her tenure. I will be happy to do so, and I will try to make it a little more interesting with pictures and quotes from members. I see myself as having more time to do that when my years as president are over. Most of our newer members have email so this is an inexpensive way to communicate with you. Postage prices have put newsletters by mail over prohibitive. We must count on the callers to spread information to those who do not have email accounts.

See you on May 19,
Ellen

April 2011

I imagine you are as discouraged by the Florida Legislature and its actions as I am. I was thinking today on the eve of a federal government shutdown that it might be a good thing if there were a state government shutdown. However,I suppose that would be bad for everyone who receives necessary treatment from Medicaid. Although, if the governor and the legislative houses in Florida have their way, few will be eligible for it anyway. On a lighter note, MCREA is moving along. We have elected new officers for two year terms. Deborah Thomas who produced all those great programs for us as 1st vice president assumes the office of president. Judy Shostrom who organized the new teacher reception and kept up with new members as 2nd vice president will become 1st vice president/president-elect. Susan Roe has accepted the 2nd vice president's positron. Ron Schneider will be treasurer and David Bates will serve as secretary. With these capable people in charge, I am sure we will continue to thrive and grow. I believe the events in the Legislature beginning last year have made us see how important it is for us to belong to a local and a state organization (FREA), to stay informed, and to act if need be to protect our pensions and to help educators still working in the schools. And our interest is not just in those two categories, but also in the children who will suffer from reduced funds and poorly paid teachers. At our March meeting, the members voted in favor of a $5 dues increase for next year. Annual dues will now be $50 with $20 staying with MCREA and $30 sent to FREA. Those members who are FREA lifetime members will pay the local dues of $20. ( If you are wondering how to become a lifetime member, FREA canceled the perk several years ago, too late for most of us. Fay Murphy, Bylaws Committee Chair, presented a list of changes to the bylaws at our March meeting. They are mostly cosmetic, getting things in better order. We will be voting whether or not to accept the changes at our April meeting. We have a new member who just joined in March. Carol Walker is a retired teacher, of 47 years, from New Jersey. I hope everyone will make her welcome at our April meeting. Carol's daughter works for MEA and it was at her suggestion that Carol decided to join us. She has been in a wheelchair and is now using a walker, so she cannot drive. I hope there is someone who will volunteer to give her a ride to our meeting on April 21. She lives at Asbury Towers. If you can do that, please call me at 794-1646 and I will put you in touch with her. The program at our April meeting will feature our remembrance ceremony for members who have died this year. Our guest speaker will be Cecile Arrington. If you do not hear from your caller, please call me, Susan Roe, or Carole Sicard before Sunday, April 17th. Remember also that reservations must be honored since the restaurant charges MCREA for the number of lunches which we order. Enjoy our beautiful weather while it lasts. See you April 21st.

March 2011

I realized that I did not hype our program for March 17. First of all, wear green to ward of pinchers. People wearing orange will be suspected of treason to the Auld Sod. Our speaker will be Charlie Hunsicker, Director of Environment Projects for Manatee County. I have heard him speak about the new preserves in the county. He is well-informed and interesting.

March MCREA

March has come in "like a lion" with gusts of wind loaded down with oak tree and other pollen. Are you enjoying the watery eyes and sneezing as much as I am? Perhaps it will rain soon and wash some of the yellow stuff away.

Deborah Thomas and I went to the annual retirement workshop for Manatee County Educators this week. There didn't seem to be quite as many there as last year, but they had twice as many questions. Of course, they are all nervous about what the legislature and governor have in store for them when they meet in a couple of weeks. I sent you a list of addresses and phone numbers of the legislature. Here are their email addresses:
Rep. Greg Steube greg.steube@myfloridahouse.gov
Rep. Jim Boyd jim.boyd@myfloridahouse.gov
Sen. Michael Bennett bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov
Our input should count if "myfloridahouse" refers to us and not to them. We'll see. It is alarming to see what is happening in Wisconsin, and our governor seems pretty anxious to follow the lead of more radical voices since he chose not to accept the money for the bullet train and refuses to allow legislation to track sales of opiates. As Betty Davis put it, "Hang on to your seats, boys. We're in for a bumpy ride." If I don't have that right, forgive me.

I hope most of you will be at our March meeting on Thursday, the 17th, at 11:30, at Renaissance on 9th. We have two important items on our agenda: the election of new officers for 2011-2013 and a vote on raising MCREA dues.

The slate of officers which was presented at the Feb. meeting by the nominating committee foll
1st V.P. Judy Shostrom
2nd V.P. Susan Roe
Secretary David Bates
Treasurer Ron Schneider
(Deborah Thomas will become the new President since she served as 1st V.P. for two years. We will not vote on this office.)
Nominations from the floor will be accepted before the voting.

The next important item to be discussed and voted on in a secret ballot will be an increase in dues for next year. The MCREA board has discussed the increase and wishes to bring it to the membership for consideration. A rationale for this increase includes the following:

• Present dues are $45 dollars a year of which $30 are sent to FREA. Of the $15 that remain, $2 are designated for local scholarships and $3 are sent to FREF for state scholarships. That leaves us with $10 per member in our budget. Since lunches are $10 each and we host our speakers' lunches, and some members make reservations and do not show up, it is possible to see where some of our money goes. Yes, we do bill members who make reservations and do not arrive, but as in all bills, some are not paid.
• Due to increased costs of printing and postage, we cannot send out printed newletters often.
• We have traditionally donated to the Manatee County History Fair where we sponsor a prize. This year, after the presentation of Mary Glass of the Manatee Foundation about the grants awarded to individual teachers for their classrooms, we donated to the Foundation as well. We would like to continue this to help classroom teachers and their students.
• In past years, after presentations by the Manatee Players and Guide Dogs for the Blind, we were able to donate to those organizations. We are now in a position of not being able to this and so have not scheduled presentations from organizations which might expect donations.
• We are also severely limited in our ability to pay a presenter: for instance, the magician which you may remember who entertained us at our Oct. meeting in 2009.
• There has not been a dues increase in at least 15 years.
• We have been dipping into our contingency fund in the last few years in order to balance the budget.
• The Board's proposal is a $5 per person increase in dues. This would bring the yearly dues to $50.

We hope that you will be prepared to discuss this dues increase and to vote on it. Please try to be at the meeting.

On the subject of money, as of Jan. 31, donations to the MCREA Scholarship Fund from members totalled $1,743.13. With that amount, our ability to award scholarships to Manatee seniors will be severely curtailed.

Joan Sackett is one of our new members this year. She was a 4th grade teacher at Anna Maria School before retiring. She has two children who have followed in her footsteps and who teach at Central High and at Gullett Elementary. Joan enjoys gardening, socializing, traveling, and reading. Sounds like the perfect agenda to me.

Diana Buell was a reading teacher and coach at Bayshore El., Anna Maria El, and Nolan Middle. She enjoys her two granddaughters, Kyla and McKenna (love those names) and working in Christian outreach at her church.

Kathleen Burghart was a PK/VE teacher, a MS/HS teacher, a reading coach, and taught K4/ESOL in Morocco and Thailand. (She was also a master of educational initials?) Her grandmother was a teacher and the first house mother at the Univ. of Alabama. She was also the first cousin of John Barrymore. That makes Kathleen a cousin of Drew Barrymore. I think Drew should be impressed with Kathleen's accomplishments.

I hope to see you all at our March meeting,

Ellen

February, 2011

Everyone has to be really glad to be in Florida this winter although the traffic is wicked and going out to dinner impossible. And don't even think about going to Walmart! What are they giving away in there anyway? Have you been to the Red Barn Flea Market? I was there today to drop off some books for the AAUW book sale, and I had to park so far away that I needed to drop bread crumbs to find my way back. It looks as if the economy is rebounding a bit here, so it is all good.

I hope you were at the January meeting which was hosted by the Legacy Society of the Community Foundation. They chipped in part of our lunch fee so that we could hear their excellent speaker. He had an entertaining program with film clips from popular movies to illustrate his presentation. I believe we all learned something about the best way to manage our assests when we leave them to our loved ones. One of the highlights was a Clint Eastwood film where his grand daughter who is a brat covets his antique Grand Torino (film's title.) When the will is read, she is very disappointed. Dirty Harry rules!

I read an article in this morning's Manatee Herald about Rick Scott's plans for the Florida Retirement System. He wants to put all new hires on a 401(k) style retirement plan, reduce all current retirement accounts to 1.6 (what teachers already get), eliminate the DROP program, require all employees to pay 5% of their salaries to the FRS, and do away with the cost of living increase (COLA) to retirees.

Ironically, at the same time, he is pushing for lower state income taxes for corporations and lower school taxes. He says he plans to cut the state budget by $5 billion. He plans to unveil his complete budget at a Tea Party meeting in Eustis early next week. Uh huh.

Speaking of money, MCREA has really fallen short in donations for the scholarships which we award annually to local high school seniors who are planning careers in education. We have been able to finance three scholarships in the past, but this year, we will only be able to award one if we do not receive more donations from our members. We have not been doing fund raisers because members said they would rather contribute money than the time and work that goes into such projects. Please donate to the scholarship fund if you can. Elaine Brown will be happy to receive your checks by mail or at the next meeting.

Welcome to new members Faith Herring and Sue Gore. Faith's professional experience is a bit different from most of us. She was the department chair of nursing at MTI. Now should anyone feel a flutter of the heart or any other worrisome symptom at one of our meetings, we know we have someone to call upon. She and her husband, Red, also a school board retiree, are active in their church and watching Auburn University sports.

Sue Gore was a first grade reading coach. She enjoys retirement because she can pursue her interests of reading, knitting, crocheting, and MOTORCYCLE RIDING. Yes, that is what she wrote in her biographical notes. We MCREA people cannot be pigeon holed! I have more interesting tidbits to share about some other new members, so stay tuned.

Our meeting on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 11:30, at Renaissance on 9th, will feature a speaker whom you will all want to hear, Superintendent Tim McGonegal. I think we are all interested in the school board's plans to weather the cuts in funding. You may have questions for him. In addition, we will have a slate of officers to present for your consideration and to vote on in March. Please remember that we must have your reservations by Saturday, Feb. 13. If you cannot attend after making a reservation, Sunday is the last day that you can cancel or you will be billed.

Happy Valentines Day!

See you soon,
Ellen

January 2011

I remember how slow and stately were the days of January in the past. Not only did I have time to make New Year's resolutions, but there was time to contemplate carrying them out. (I never did). And who can forget the miserably long month with no holidays at all? Later on, we had a day off for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, but that was it. January dragged along, dreary, cold, and uneventful. In retirement, I have found that there is lots to do in January, even more than I have time for. There isn't even time to make those resolutions, let alone to break them.

I guess we are all watching the work of the new Florida governor and wondering how his plans will affect us. We must stay tuned and be ready to make our opinions known if he begins to dismantle the school system and our retirement system. The murders in Arizona have you thinking, I am sure. How has our country come to this? There is so much anger and hatred in the land which is being fanned by people who don't realize how their words affect the behavior of some people. Or maybe they do? I get emails that are so hateful that I have had to block access to some writers.

I am sorry to tell you that Leon Trumbull is very ill. His wife, Edna, has told me that he is now under Hospice care and may soon be moved to the Hospice facility when there is room. She has good neighbors, she says, but I think she would love to get a card or a casserole?

Our meeting this month will be a little different. We are going to be the guests of the Manatee County Legacy Society. We will be having the same lunch that they are having which is a bit more expensive than ours, but the price to us will still be $10. A dynamic speaker from California will use news reels and film clips to illustrate charitable giving in the form of legacies. I think it will be a great chance to meet some new people and to get to know more about this community group.

Your callers are telling you to arrive at 11:15 if possible on Thursday, the 20th, in order to facilitate the signing in process of the two different groups.

See you at the Renaissance, on Thursday, Jan. 20, at 11:15.
Ellen